Joint for connecting tubular sections of poles and the like



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JOINT FOR CONNECTING DE WHT Filed May 2S, 1930 'LBUL-AR SEQTIGNS OF' POLES AND 'THE LIKE @Zan/W A TTORNEYS.

Patentes Aug. a tata mi, time cLm'roN :DE WITT, or san raancrsco, cnnneonnra 1 rom ron connuerind` TUBULan snorrons or roms .sian rmt Lm Application mea nmay as,

This invention relates to a joint for c onnecting tubular vsections otpoles and thelike, and especially to a joint which permits a 193e. serial Nannies. f

seam atthe point ofcontact is'welded solidly. i

This construction, vvhile v stronger than an unre'inforcedbutt-joint, retains `the wealniess rigid welded connection between two taper 5 ing tubular pole sections, where a smooth exterior finish is required.I f

In the building of tubular poles, either cylindrical or tapered inshape, from open healthI steel or of Welded construction, 1t has been found necessary in some instances to make a pole which in appearance is absolute- `ly smooth on the outside and to theeye the finished structure appears tobea continuous one-piece tube ofwhatever finished length the pole may be.

Tubular poles, especially Aflag poles, which taper from end to end are often so small 1n diameter that it is impossible to get a man inside thereof and as poles of .this character *a are usually of considerablelength it Vhas been found-that the usual/method of joining the sections together by. means of a butt-weld ilsi not satisfactory. The reasons therefor are as follows: j Y

A pole in actual service,vwhetherbolted to a foundation by means of a tlangecom nection or putin the ground a sufficient dise' tance to support the same is subject to con- I. j stant vibration from wind -or traffic. Any 1g. 2- is a central vertical sectionftalren on joint on such pole is not only subject to bendline .IL-II offfFig. l, j ing stresses tending to rupture the joint but fFig. 3 is aV perspectiveiview showing the in addition is subject to constantvibration reinforcing sleeve while being Welded with caused b v wind, traffic, etc. This vibration, relation to one of the tubular pole sections, being substantially continuous, becomes a and l strain at each and every joint where the poleV F ig. 4 is a perspective view of the abutting 95 is welded, and as is wellknown, continuous end/of an adjacentl tubular pole section. vibration will eventuallycause crystallization Referring to thedrawing in detail and j and produce fracture of a butt-welded joint. Thus, an ordinary butt-weld of two adjacent tubular pole sections is not suited for this condition and it is necessary to reinforce the joint with'a-n inner sleeve. over which each of the connecting pole sections must'fit.

The customary method of construction of such a joint in poles of diameter too small for a man to work inside, is to it the sleeve into one pole section and weld the inside end of the sleeve solidly to -the pole. The 'ad' joining pole section is then slipped over and 5@ brought snug to the first pole section andthe that the second pole sectio'nisrsecure'd by a single' line'of weld and vibration will develop 6s playin the joint 'and eventually eii'ect a fracture of theweld.` f

The object of the p'resentinvention is to generally improve and simpli the conj struction and o eration of tu ular pole te joints of the reinforcedtype; to provide a. .tubularfpoldjoint' which permits a plurality l of rigid Weldedjconnections to bevmadebetweeny af pair fof a'djacent' abutted tubular i i sectionsand an interior reinforcing sleeve;` to provide a reinforced welded tubular pole joint which` permits the 'formation' of al smooth -eXtdrior l iinished surface and further, "to provide an interior reinforcing sleeve "which maybe snugly fitted and 70 welded to the adjoining sections so as to produce a frictionjoint in additionto'the` weld. j yThe reinforced joint'is shown by `way of .which- Fig. 1 lis av sideelevation of a taperingi tubular polejoint completed,

a pair of tapering tubular pole sections which are to be joined, and C an tinterior reinforcing W sleeve which is inserted each'joint. The reinforcing 'sleeve is split as indicated at 2a and is inserted in a tubular pole section indicated'atB, see Fig. 3,' so as to provide a projecting end tube. The sleeve by being split g5 may be snugly fitted by expanding it, for instance, by means of a wedge 2b, and'when so fitted it is weldedat the point indicated at 3 to the interior surface of the tubular y pole section B and it is also welded along the E illustration inthe accompanying dravving,in '15 .particularlyligs 1 and 2, A and B indicate e cut in the tube section split as indicated at 3a. The tubular pole section A is then slipped over the projecting end 2 ofthe reinforcing sleeve and it is moved into abutment with the tubular pole -section B.- y

Prior to applying the tubular pole section A, wedge 2b is removed without any danger of the sleeve contracting as'theweld indicated at 3a will retainbthe sleeve in its expanded condition. A pluralit of slots 4 are then down over the projecting end 2 of the sleeve, care being taken that sleeve C is sufficiently expanded to form a friction tight joint. The slots 4 form openings through which a welded connection may be made between the upper end of 'the reinforcing sleeve and the tube i. sectioILA. During the welding the weld split of the sleeve and indicated at 3a forms a rigid connection betweenthe lower end ofr the reinforcing sleeve'and the tubular section B. Furthermore by expanding the sleeve through means of the wedge 2b f L friction joint is produced. The weld indicatedy at 6 connectsthe abutting ends of the tubes A and B and it also forms a connection with the exterior surface of the reinforcing sleeve. The welds formed through the slots 4 form a series of welded connections between the upper end'of the reinforcing sleeve and the tube A, hence a rigid welded connection is formed at a number of points between each tube section A and B and the rel inforcing sleeve and a friction joint is also obtalned in addition thereto.

In actual practice, may be stated that a solid sleeve could be employed but it has been found more or less impractical as absolutel uniformity in dimensions is dilicult to obtain 'in manufacture, particularly kwhen making tapering tube sections, hence by splitting the sleeve as shown and by expanding it throughwedge means or the like, when inserted, a snug frictional fit similar to a driving or machine fit mayy bel obtained prior to sections. The ywelding may be accomplished electrically or Oxy-acetylene welding maybe employed as the ease may be.

The double line of staggered slots formed above the butt-joint 6 as indicatedat 40s and 5, together with the weld 3 and the longif tudinal weld 8a, produces such a rigid conj nection between the tubular sections A and B that play at` thekbuttjoint 6 is absolutely eliminated, hence `'producing a pole which should act as if `it were made` in' one piece and tube A. is driven welding the sleeve to the tubular and as the exterior welds indicated at 4a, 5 and 6 may be ground smooth without Weak-A ening the joints the pole is given the appearance of being made in one solid unit without joints.

In conclusion it might be stated that the joints, when completed, produce a structure of exceedingly rigid construction as the reinforcing sleeves, when snugly fitted, are reinforced by the welded joints, etc., tending to roduce an integral structure, thus eliminat ing any play from vibration at any one of the joints, andtransferring the entire effect of vibration to the ground line Where the support or foundation may absorb the vibration. '1 n While thedrawingjillustrates a tube or pole of taperingv construction, it should be understoody that tubular sections of uniform diameter maybe joined with this reinforcing sleeve in the same'manner as described, and while other features of the present invention are more or less specifically described, I wish it understood that various changes maybe resorted to within the scope of the appended claims. f Similarly,'that the materials' and finishes of the several parts employed may be such as the manufacturer may decide, 'or varyingconditions or uses may demand. j v l Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a structure of the character dels cribed,'a pair of abutting tubes, an expansi- 'ble reinforcing sleeve mounted interior of the tubes, and a plurality of welded connec-` tions formed between each tube and the interior reinforcing sleeve.

2. In astructure of the character dej scribed', a pair of abutting tubes, an expansible reinforcing sleeve lmounted interior of the tubes, a plurality of welded connections 'formed between each tube and the interior reinforcing sleeve, means for expanding the sleeve, and means for retaining the sleeve in an expanded condition within the tubes.

8. In a structure of 'the character described, a pair of abutting tubes, a vsplit eX- pansible reinforcing sleeve mounted interior of ,the tubes, and a plurality of welded connections formed between each tube and the interior reinforcing sleeve. v

4.. 'In' a structure of the character described, ',a pair of abutting tubes, a split expansible reinforcing sleevel mounted interior of the tubes, said split sleeve being adapted to'be expanded within the tubes to form a friction joint between'thesame, and a plurality of welded connections formed between each tube and theinterior split sleeve after Y expansionof thesleeve, said welded connections includinga filler weld formedv in the split of the sleeve to prevent contraction of the sleeve. j v

5. In a structure of the character described, a tube, a longitudinally split reinforcing sleeve insertable in the tube and hav'- ing its upper end rojecting from the tube,

said sleeve bein a apted to receive expanding means in tlie split ortion thereof for expanding the sleeve wi in the tube, a welded connection formed between the inner end of the split sleeve and the interior surface of the tube, said weld being extended up the s lit portion of the sleeve to further secure e sleeve to the tube and to prevent contraction of the sleeve and also to permit removal of the expanding means, 'a secondtube adapt- 1s ed to be received by the projecting end of the reinforcing sleeve, said second tube abutting the first named tube, and a welded connection formed between the abutting ends of the re- ;pective tubes and the interior reinforcing 2o eeve. l

6. In a structure of the character de- ,scribed, a tube, alongitudinally split rein forcing sleeve insertable in the tube and having its upper end projecting from the tube,

the split portion `of the sleeve being. adapted to receive means for expanding the sleeve within the tube, a welded connection formed between the inner end of the split sleeve and the interior surface of .the tube, said weld so being extended up the split portion of the sleeve to further secure the sleeve to the tube and to prevent contraction of the sleeve and also to permit removal of the expanding means, a second tube adaptedpto be received 35 by the projecting end of the reinforcing sleeve, said second tube abutting the first named tube, a welded connection formed between the abutting ends of the respective tubes and the interior reinforcing sleeve, 40 said second named tube having a plurality of slots formed therein, and said slots permitting a welded connection to be formed between the second named tube and the exterior surface of the upper end of the reinforcing sleeve. N

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